COLUMN - Money Matters with Amanda Heath of Melton & District Money Advice Centre
Summer makes me think of concerts and having fun!
So I ‘ve been thinking about songs to do with money and what the lyrics make me think about.
Money by Pink Floyd – we all need money, but it doesn’t bring lasting happiness.
But it is something we all need to exist, to not only pay bills buy anything large we may want to achieve, such as buying a house, having our own transport all costs but this song makes me think about how much is enough?
How much of my energy and time is enough in chasing it?
Money, money, money by Abba – ‘all the things I could do if I had money’.
Sometimes if we dream too much that money will solve all our problems, it gives us a false sense of what will actually be an answer to something that money cannot buy?
We sometimes see this in our debt advice. But if addictions exist with gambling, drugs or even online shopping, more money won’t solve the deep underlying issues, it will only exacerbate them
Pretty Green by The Jam – Anyone remember £1 notes that were green in colour? I can and when they stopped and got changed to £1 coins! I was not happy.
The song talks about putting them in fruit machines and juke boxes. So yes, money allows us to access leisure activities, but can we do anything without money?
Taking a picnic to a park and letting the kids explore and run around is cheap. Having meals with friends in different places if you can’t afford to eat out. Taking it in turns to have children round to play so parents can have a break to rest and recuperate.
In conclusion, I encourage you to spend some time evaluating where you are on a scale of feeling that you have enough money for all your needs and wants.
Not only do we need to budget our money, but we also need to budget our time and energy and how much of this goes on trying to get more money.
Our next money management course is tomorrow (Friday June 19), from 10am until 12 30pm at The Melton Building Society head office on Leicester Road. Email [email protected] if you would like to attend.